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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: stock · can · arm · file · ruler · object · last · scale

  1. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. scale — in music
  4. object — to protest
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. file — a line of people
  7. object — a thing
  8. object — an aim
  9. can — a tin
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. last — final
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. can — to be able to
  15. stock — goods
  16. can — a tin
  17. stock — shares
  18. scale — size or range
  19. file — a tool
  20. last — finally
  21. last — to go on
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. file — a document

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com